


Say You'll Remember Me

by ThisIsAwesomeness



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-06 18:03:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6764380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisIsAwesomeness/pseuds/ThisIsAwesomeness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As they free fall to the trampoline waiting for them at the bottom, Annabeth remembers her first fall—and she'd fallen hard, but Percy had never been fast enough to fall with her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Say You'll Remember Me

**Author's Note:**

> Thank goodness after so many days of slaving around and trying to find the will to write, I have now finished this kind of long fic. Honestly, I've been pushing this for so long and well, trying to make my ideas transform into words. I sort of got the idea when I watched the music video of Wildest Dreams and well, I thought why not. The characters are slightly OOC, so please forgive that. I only edited this myself, so if you'll find some mistakes, please do inform me. And please, please leave a review and tell me what you think. Because honestly, when I write damn long fics, it seems that nobody reads it and I guess it tells me to stop writing something like this.
> 
> Disclaimer: The title was taken from Taylor Swift's Wildest Dreams. This story was also inspired by its music video. Also, characters are owned by Rick Riordan and there are cut out conversations taken from his books. I take no credit from those and neither will I try to own them.
> 
> ThisIsAwesomeness (I'm thinking of changing my username, but I can't think of any to replace it so…)

Say you'll see me again

Even if it's just in your

Wildest dreams

-Taylor Swift, Wildest Dreams

;

Annabeth smiles briefly before signing her name on the contract in a neat and unhurried handwriting. Around her, the people break out into applause and she tries not to feel too overwhelmed about it. It's a lost cause though, because she knows—everyone knows that this contract is the key to jumpstarting her career as an actress. Having the opportunity to play the female lead in the world famous Heroes of Olympus is indeed a blessing to a rising star like her.

The people inside the room aren't too many, but the congratulating smiles on their faces make Annabeth a little dizzy. She doesn't think she'll ever get used to this environment, given that she had no prior experiences regarding filming a movie, much more a series. But she thinks, she can manage this. She hopes to manage.

She remembers someone saying that the male lead would be played by no other than Percy Jackson himself, but Annabeth couldn't bring herself to ponder about it with the loud, ringing in her ears and the warm, fuzzy feeling that seem to overtake her.

She just hopes at the back of her mind that Percy Jackson isn't as bad as the characters he portray in the big screen.

;

Remembering what she thought moments ago, she wants to believe otherwise.

Upon opening the door, she's rewarded by an image of a tall, leaned guy slouched against the wall; his dark fringe barely brushing his long lashes. He looks up as soon as Annabeth goes inside, and she has to remind herself not to stare too much at his eyes—those sea green eyes swirling with various colors but mostly settling for a murky greenish tint. His overall aura looks bored, judging by the way he's slouched against the wall, but the way his eyes follow her movement almost seem predatory. He's unbelievably beautiful in his own way; though his attitude says otherwise, yet Annabeth knows better to steer clear of him. He's the kind of person she shouldn't be close to, even if they are to act as lovers for the movie. In fact, Annabeth wouldn't want to be caught in a rumor against his girlfriend, if those are to spread sometime after the release of the movie.

"Jackson," Hedge, the director, calls, before he nods his head to Annabeth's direction. "Meet your Annaliese Cray."

"Hi, I'm Annabeth Chase," she introduces herself with a small, unsure smile.

"And this man is your Paris Jefferson, got it?"

Annabeth nods briefly, as she glances at Percy through the corner of her eyes. He isn't looking at her, instead he's staring at the paper where the names of the rest of the actors are written.

She then reads her own paper, ignoring the heavy gaze that seems to be slicing through her soul.

;

"'Where is he?'" Annabeth snarls, her voice becoming rough and hostile all of a sudden and her grey eyes brewing in silent thunderstorms, the way she envisioned Annaliese Cray would react after searching for her boyfriend, only to stumble upon three teenagers who doesn't have any clue about gods and Greek mythology.

"'Where's who?'" Jason muttered, like the clueless Joshua Godling he is.

"'What about Gleeson? Where is your protector, Gleeson Hedge?'"

"He got taken by some…tornado things," Leo answered, who plays the character of Luigi Vasquez.

"Okay. Cut! Take two after five."

Annabeth breathes a sigh of relief as she walks towards her makeshift room. They're filming the first book in the series, The Lost Hero. Apparently, the production team had decided to just fit the five books from the series into one movie. Although, it hardly seems possible, the scriptwriter had managed to highlight the important parts in books and merge them in a movie that will run for about two hours. Annabeth accepts the cold glass of water from Piper, one of her co-stars who plays Penelope McCraig in the movie.

"Nice acting," Piper comments. "I'm actually convinced that you have lost your one true love."

Annabeth rolls her eyes and playfully shoves Piper. "Shut up. There's no one true love for me. Maybe for Annaliese, there is."

"Seriously? No boyfriend, flings, even friend with benefits?" Piper questions.

"Nope," Annabeth answers. She sees Percy looking at them, and she briefly wonders if he's eavesdropping on their conversation.

Piper hums thoughtfully before fixing her ever-changing eyes to the blonde. "Honestly, for a while I thought you've experienced losing someone you love because of some bitchy, queen wannabe goddess because seriously, you act as though it happened to you first hand."

"Now that would be real drama."

Piper laughs. "Good thing you're not Annaliese then."

Annabeth smiles a bit at that. She turns to look over her shoulder to find Percy staring at her, before he smiles a shy, close-lipped smile.

She quickly casts her gaze away from him, intrigued by how fast her pulse has become after seeing his smile.

;

The remaining lights in the studio are shut off, leaving the rest of the cast to bask in the light offered by their own makeshift rooms.

Annabeth lets out a yawn after she'd finished removing the make up from her face. Her crew starts to shuffle inside the van together with their kits and Annabeth sits in her chair a moment longer. She begins dozing off for a few minutes but then a hand on her shoulder startles her awake. Through heavy lids, she looks up to see Percy peering down at her with a small smile. He has two cups of coffee in his hands and offers one to her.

"Thanks?" she mutters distractedly, because Annabeth cannot comprehend how Percy Jackson chose to be nice and offer her some coffee at roughly one in the morning just after the shoot, as if they're long-time friends.

"Um, hi," he says shyly and frankly, Annabeth has to double take because as far as she knew, Percy bad boy Jackson doesn't do 'shyly'.

She must've look too startled for him because he started babbling apologies.

"Oh shit, sorry. I should've known that I might be scaring you. Clearly, I should've known better than to embody the bad boy attitude," Percy babbles on. "Um, am I scaring you?"

"A bit, right now, yeah," Annabeth confesses. She watches in amusement as Percy 'the supposed bad boy' Jackson smacks himself in the forehead like a huge dork. Annabeth laughs as soon as she realizes this. She just can't believe that the Percy Jackson is such a dork.

Percy stops blabbering and laughs too, even if he doesn't quite know why he is actually laughing. "I thought you were scary," he admits in between chuckles.

"Me? Scary?" the blonde asks in mild amusement because she's heard her fair share of intimidating first impression. But she thinks, scary is putting it quite strongly.

"Uh yeah." Percy scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed. "You intimidate me, that's why I thought to intimidate you, too. Hence, the cold, bad boy attitude you see in the movies."

Annabeth stares at him, baffled. "So all of these cold looks were just a façade?"

"Yes. I mean, Rachel has convinced me too that it makes me seem more put together than I am, normally. But I'm guessing you're getting it the wrong way?"

"You're right," Annabeth tells him, because he is. She can't believe that she'd been fooled from the start—for a while she thought that he is honestly who he portrays on the movies. But then it turns out that the real Percy Jackson is far from the bad boy the media had made him up to be. He's so much more than that, and it includes being a dork and a clumsy one, too.

"So . . . do you think we could be friends?" Percy asks, hesitantly. "I mean, I want for us to be friends so it will not be awkward when the time comes that we have to film the third book, when we act all lovey-dovey and everything."

For a moment, Annabeth considers this. She remembers some scenes in the script where they have to kiss or—make out is probably the right term—and she internally cringes while imagining that with a stranger. She thinks it wouldn't hurt to be friends with Percy, after all why not make it bearable for both of them?

She looks up at him with a small smile. "I think I can handle that."

Percy's sea green eyes light up. "Cool. That's cool."

"So . . . your girlfriend. . ."

"Rachel, yes?"

Annabeth stumbles through her words, not particularly sure on how to phrase them. 'Wouldn't she—isn't she angry or jealous about this?"

He shakes his head like the idea's preposterous. Maybe it is. "She isn't. I mean, she knows we're actors—of course she's one—and that's what we do, right? We act. So long as it doesn't mean anything, it should be fairly innocent."

As long as it doesn't mean anything, Annabeth thinks. I can do that.

She carefully shifts her gaze to Percy. With his green eyes alight with wonder and his hair sticking at odd angles, he does look quite far from the first impression she had of him. He looks so carefree, so young and child-like, and yet he is not. She then wonders if a lot of people know about this side of him, because she thinks this Percy Jackson is so much better than the movies.

Annabeth raises her cup to him. "Cheers for a new friendship."

Percy bumps his cup to hers, muttering, "Cheers!" Annabeth laughs as he eagerly takes a sip from his cup, only to have it burn his tongue. She watches him fumble for packs of sugar and creamer, after realizing that black coffee doesn't fit his taste as much as it fits Annabeth.

Annabeth thinks that admiring Percy Jackson in person is so much better than crushing on him from afar. So long as it only stays as a crush.

After all, it would be so much difficult if it was to mean anything more than that.

;

"Annabeth," Piper calls, beckoning the blonde to the small group huddled on the floor. "Come, join us."

Annabeth, having nothing better to do, obliges and finds herself seated beside Hazel, the girl with dark curly hair, chocolate skin and seemingly golden eyes. Hazel smiles at her and she eagerly grins back.

There are large bags of chips in the middle, together with cans of soft drinks opened and two board games. Jason passes her some chips and a can of Coke, and even though she's advised to have a strict diet, Annabeth accepts it and engages in whatever they're playing.

Leo, Piper and Percy are fighting over Snakes and Ladders, because apparently, someone had cheated when everyone else isn't looking. Hazel and Frank—the actor who is supposed to be Franco Zenith are talking quietly. Reyna and a pale looking dark haired boy are talking quietly in a corner. Annabeth challenges Jason on a game of Chess, who looks quite serious and competitive himself.

She moves her bishop to eat his rook, then he takes her piece too when he moves his queen. It's a very tight game.

It's when both of their pieces are down to three and Annabeth moves her horse to completely trap Jason's king, she mutters happily, "Checkmate."

Jason doesn't seem all too bothered by his loss, instead he offers his hand for a firm handshake.

"Nice game."

"You're a good opponent. It's nice to play with you," Annabeth compliments.

He only grins and moves over where Piper and Leo are still bickering.

Apparently, Annabeth doesn't notice Percy who has now sat himself beside her while she tucked away the chessboard.

"So, you're great at Chess?" he asks her.

"Um, maybe? I really don't know the extent of my abilities," she replies, downplaying herself.

He takes a small sip from his Coke before he bumps her shoulder, lightly. "Oh. Sorry, but didn't you know I was a member of the Chess team back in high school?"

Annabeth scrunches her eyebrows at him. "I can't tell if you're lying or actually telling the truth."

"Of course, I'm telling the truth!" Percy exclaims, his hand on his chest and his face, scandalized. "Don't you believe in my mighty Chess skills?" Though, something tells Annabeth that he is actually lying.

"Well, why don't we test those mighty Chess skills, huh?" she asks, tauntingly.

Ten minutes later, Annabeth grins smugly. "Checkmate."

"You're just lucky I'm not in the mood," Percy mutters but he doesn't seem to be the slightest bit off.

"Now, where did all those mighty Chess skills go?" she teases.

He scowls at her. "Are you mocking me, Chase?"

She considers this for a moment, before challenging him. "What if I am?"

Percy scrunches his eyebrows like he's trying to say a snarky remark or something, yet he can't seem to think of anything. "Nothing. Just asking."

"I don't get you at all," Annabeth voices out. "You're weird."

"Wow, Annaliese Cray can't figure me out," he says in an attempt to tease her. "That's new."

"At least I don't have seaweed for brains, Paris Johnson," she retorts back, jokingly.

"This friendship thing just keeps getting better and better."

There is a small smile playing on his face, with one end of his lips rising slightly higher than the other, and Annabeth pretends that she doesn't find it the slightest bit cute at all.

;

One of the things Annabeth loves about acting and shooting is that she can be reminded that the people she sees on TV and movies are also human. Sitting on a plastic chair, she watches the rest of the cast fumble and joke around like little kids in the set. Acting, as it seems, is a way to put up walls and cover the world with papers to hide the atrocity of the real thing. Acting weaves wonderful stories and creates an impression that everything can have a happy ending. Yet, it also shows the dark and ugly side of life, where it presents a picture that sometimes, not everyone had the opportunity to look at.

But still, behind all of those wonderful creations, the actors, as great as they may seem, are also simply mundane. Jason Grace, who once starred as Superman, could not be as smooth in wooing (well, Annabeth thinks he is wooing) Aphrodite's on screen daughter, Piper. Frank too, who was always portrayed as a large, powerful man since he played as a grizzly bear and a war leader, is such a sweetie it makes Annabeth wonder how did the guy landed on those violent roles. He is always careful with whatever he does and an obvious blusher too (this had been clarified after countless teasing him with Hazel, whose whole aura speaks of conservatism).

These, these things are what made the dark bags under their eyes and stiff backs all worth it. Annabeth thinks being casted as Annaliese Cray and working together with these people is definitely worth it.

"Mom," Annabeth hears Percy say from behind her, with a warning tone in his voice.

She turns to look over her shoulder to watch the conversation, even if it's again her virtue to eavesdrop on somebody else's, but she can't help it. She catches Percy talking animatedly with a brown haired woman, holding a brown paper bag. She sees him pouting, although it doesn't seem as though he's mad or frustrated. He looks as though he's slightly embarrassed. Just a slightest.

"Percy, I won't stop giving you pack lunches unless you stop your obsession with junk and greasy foods. I honestly can't understand why you children love to eat those," the woman says, with a stern look.

"But, mom. Those are life. They're the easiest food to find and eat. Less hassle," Percy argues.

The woman—Percy's mom—shakes her head, disappointedly. "I hope not all of your co-stars are like you. Someone has to be eating real food in here and they have to influence your diet."

She then turns and catches Annabeth's eye. With a smile, the woman walks towards her, Percy in tow. He covered his face with his hands in mock embarrassment, but Annabeth could see through the space between his fingers the curl in his lip.

"Hi," the woman says, happily. "I take it you're one of Percy's co-stars?"

"Hello. And yes, in fact I play Annaliese Cray in the movies. I'm Annabeth Chase by the way," Annabeth introduces herself.

The woman's brown eyes widen. "Oh, so you're playing Annaliese. Nice to meet you, Annabeth. I'm Sally Jackson, Percy's mom."

Annabeth shakes Sally's extended hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Jackson. I can't believe Percy's got a sweet mother like you."

"Oh, please just call me Sally. Yes, Percy's quite a handful, isn't he? I have to thank you for putting up with all his antics," Sally says, with a gentle eye roll at her son. "I hope he doesn't annoy you that much."

"I'm a good boy, I swear," Percy argues.

"Good boy, huh?" Annabeth says, sarcastically. Percy widens his eyes and she breaks into laughter. "Kidding. I guess, from what I've seen of him, he's a good boy."

Sally looks pointedly at Percy before shifting her attention to Annabeth. "I made lunch but it seems as though Percy isn't willing to eat it. Can you have this for me?"

"Oh sure. I would love to. But, you made it for him. He has to have it too." She nudges Percy with her elbow. "You'll eat it with me, okay?"

"M'kay."

"And please do convince him to stop eating junk foods," Sally adds.

"But, mom—"

Annabeth grins at her. "I'll try my best."

Sally moves forward and squeezes the blonde's arm. "Thank you, Annabeth. It was nice meeting you. And Percy," she squints her eyes at her son. "Finish your food and say hi to Rachel for me."

"Sure thing, mom." Percy mocks a salute and waves goodbye. Sally kisses him on the cheek.

"Bye, Mrs. Jackson. I mean, Sally."

Annabeth waits until Sally is out of sight when she elbows Percy yet again. "So…bad boy Jackson is such a momma's boy, huh?"

Percy blushes and hides his face with his hand. "Stop."

"It wasn't that bad. Sally seems like a great mom."

"Yeah, she is great."

"Of course she is. Come on, pack lunches, goodbye kisses…"

He half-shoves Annabeth on the arm, lightly. "Seriously stop. Just stop," Percy says, with an embarrassed chuckle.

"I'll stop if you eat this now," she bargains.

He rolls his eyes at her and snatches the pack from her hold.

Annabeth can't stop smiling at her feet when she catches him looking at her and his eyes soften for the slightest bit.

;

They're filming the second book today, the Son of Neptune in the series.

Someone on the set is barking instructions like a disciplinary officer or something. Annabeth thinks it could probably someone playing the role of Terminus. Everyone knows how mouthy that half body marble statue could be.

She sits in the corner, just beside the set and watches as Percy, Hazel and Frank converse with each other just after they've passed the Roman Camp border.

"'Is he always like that?'" Percy asks, scrunching his eyebrows for a confusing look. Just like that, he completely embodies his role as Paris, and Annabeth could not help but admire his almost flawless acting skills.

Hazel pipes in, doing her best impression of Helen Lopez. "'No. Today he was laid back. Usually, he's more obsessive/compulsive.'"

The conversation stops there and they proceed to enter the forum, where the senate meeting is held. The director then yells cut, and Annabeth lets a second pass before catching up to Percy.

"Hey," she opens up, watching as Percy glances back at her and grins.

"Hi."

His black hair is more mussed up than usual, which kind of brings out the green in his eyes in a strange way. There are beads of sweat rolling down from his forehead to his cheeks, and she has to look away briefly to stop herself from wiping those with her hand. He looks more attractive in this disheveled look, she thinks. Annabeth doesn't know how it actually happens, but she supposes that it's one of his secret charms.

She smiles at him briefly, before raising the disposable cup in her hand. "I got you coffee."

He groans in happiness before taking the cup from her hand. He takes a sip and smiles at her through the lid. "I'd hug you but I'm sweaty."

"A half-hug wouldn't hurt," she says as she takes a sip from her own cup.

Percy then leans over and wraps one of his arms around her shoulder, then squeezing it briefly. "Thanks. You're the best."

"I know I am." Annabeth looks up and smirks at him.

There's a brief pause before Percy decides to pinch her nose with the hand on her shoulder. "Stop being so smug, Wise Girl."

"Ah, so we're using nicknames now, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth retorts, while laughing internally about how odd is this that they're using the nicknames of their respective characters from the books.

"Honestly, thanks for this coffee, Annabeth," he says. "Even though, you should've chosen to give me hot chocolate."

"Now stop complaining. You should be glad I got you one." Annabeth scrunches her nose at him, feigning a look of disgust. "And, get away from me. You're so sweaty."

Percy only laughs and presses his body closer to hers. "Now, you're not getting away."

Annabeth pinches his side lightly and moves away from him, laughing. She takes a sip from her coffee and ignores how its warmth is entirely different from the warmth she felt when she was pressed against his arms.

;

The whole set is silent except for the small sounds the crew makes in deconstructing the props and backdrops. It actually takes a long time to prepare their set, especially the ancient ruins and designs to make it more natural and appealing to the eye. Almost all of the actors are sleeping inside their own trailers after the rather tiring shoot of a battle scene in the Lost Hero. Annabeth takes advantage of this silence to observe the wonderful and carefully crafted backdrops and the rest of the scenery when her gaze lands on a lone figure sitting on top of a small boulder.

She makes it out the long and dark hair braided on one side of the shoulder and the straight backed posture. Reyna.

Annabeth hesitates on approaching the girl. After all, they haven't really made a proper conversation aside from the usual hello's and smiles. To be fair, Reyna didn't talk to anyone else aside from Jason and Nico, and sometimes Hazel and Frank. But she decides to drop all her doubts and approach the girl, despite the voice in her head that says it'll be extremely awkward.

"Can I sit here?" Annabeth asks, once she reaches the boulder.

Reyna doesn't look up. "Yes."

They sit in silence for a while, both of their eyes wandering the wide expanse of land in front of them. She startles when she hears Reyna's voice.

"Rome is such a beautiful city, isn't it?"

Annabeth's gaze flits across the land, where their New Rome was set. The domes, the archways and the sturdy columns are all breathtakingly beautiful in her opinion, considering she has a deep seated love for architecture. She imagines herself living in this place and surprises herself that the idea isn't all that absurd. After all, New Rome must be designed by the most creative and intelligent architects.

"Yeah."

"It must've been a great power to be a praetor," Reyna says as she looks down on her hands. "Even I, who just plays the role of Regina as praetor, I feel powerful. Standing in front of so many people, giving orders as if I'm commander. Don't you think so, Annabeth?"

Annabeth looks at her, surprised that she addressed her by her name for the first time. "Yeah. Being praetor is being powerful but at the same time, shouldering the responsibility. You'd make a good praetor though, if we were back in ancient times. Or in this case, if the gods exist."

The dark haired girl smiles at her. "Thanks. You too. But, we'd have to be enemies. Annaliese is a Greek."

"Maybe if we're given a quest, we can settle our own differences and work together. Just like in the Heroes of Olympus."

"Maybe," Reyna repeats. Then she asks, her voice somewhat breathy and high pitched. "Are Jason and Piper dating?"

Annabeth doesn't know but she thinks there's more to that question. The way Reyna asked it, it was as though there's a nagging story behind it; a feeling or a statement she wanted to confirm.

"I don't think so. But they're really close, they might as well be."

Reyna nods stiffly and looks away. "Thanks. Saved me some waiting time."

Annabeth knows what she heard was a sniffle, but she dismisses the idea. She doesn't really know much about consoling people, especially the likes of Reyna, so she resorts on staying quiet and pretend as if there's nothing wrong. It isn't as though she is mocking her, but rather, Annabeth has a feeling that the girl beside her doesn't like pity much like herself.

A moment later, Reyna speaks up. "I can tell that you have an affinity for architecture."

Annabeth smiles despite herself. "You're right."

"Well, then," Reyna glances at her and smiles, sadly.

"Do me a favor and build something permanent."

;

Annabeth still sits on the boulder, unmoving. Reyna had left her only moments ago, saying something about catching her sleep before the shoot. Although, that barely registers in the blonde's mind, as she is still occupied by the thought of Reyna's statement.

"Do me a favor and build something permanent."

It strikes her how much the words have affected her mind. It isn't as though Reyna is hinting anything, is she? The girl just wants her to build something permanent, one that will have to last for years even after she'd died. But even then, Annabeth can't help but feel that there's more to that statement. It was as if those words were foretelling something that would to happen in the future sometime later. She just hopes that whatever it may be, those would have to guide her in making the proper decision.

She's so absorbed in her thoughts that she barely noticed Percy, who is standing beside her.

"A penny for your thoughts?" he asks, although he isn't looking at her.

She startles but relaxes upon recognizing the voice. "I was hoping it would be a dollar."

He laughs. Annabeth can picture him with his lips curling upwards and his eyes crinkling at the edges, softly. He looks so beautiful; a dream too far-fetched for her own. "Sorry, I only have nothing but myself."

Percy sits beside her with his right hand curled at his chest and his head bowed. "Oh but please do accept me as a humble offering."

She looks him up and down, and pretends like she's criticizing his appearance. "Not too great, but I'll take what I can get."

He squints his eyes when he notices her smirk. "You're clearly enjoying this, huh?"

"Degrading you is my only form of amusement."

"Well, then, if that's the case, insulting you would be my only form of amusement."

"Nah," Annabeth argues. "That's already on the third of my list."

"I thought degrading me was your only form of amusement."

"I'm lying about that part. But I'm pretty sure about the part where insulting and degrading you always amuses me."

"Maybe you're lying about that part too," Percy says.

"I'm honest about those," she counters, her face trying to look all serious and business-like.

Percy shakes his head at her, the end of his lips moving up for the slightest bit. "You're kind of sadistic, sometimes."

The blonde shrugs. "I wouldn't deny."

He moves his body so he's facing her completely. His left leg is tucked under him while his right one dangles an inch above the ground. Percy tilts his head to stare at her while he taps his index finger at her nose, mindlessly.

While he's sitting relaxed, Annabeth's having a hard time controlling the blush off her cheeks. He's so close to her, so close that she could now smell his lingering scent properly. It smells somewhat fresh and cool with a mix of something salty and tropical. She's vaguely hit by an image of an ocean, with waves lapping quietly on the shore and she notes how it smells just like him. He must've spent so much time in the beach or maybe he just genuinely likes an ocean smelling perfume.

"But, seriously, what's bugging you?" he asks then frowns. "I mean, what's going on your mind. Not bugging. I mean there are no bugs in you. That would be gross. Or you have bugs without even telling me?"

There's a pause. Annabeth stares at him like he just suddenly grown a bug head. He stares back.

"What?" he exclaims. "I'm serious! Bugs are gross."

She glares at him. "Are you seriously asking me that?"

"It's a serious question!"

Annabeth's torn between strangling him and feeding him to bugs. But in the end, she laughs. The kind of laugh that bubbles from the very pit of her stomach and makes her cheeks flush. Percy laughs with her too, like he just can't help but laugh with her.

"You didn't have to take everything so literal, you know," Annabeth huffs. "And I have no bugs by the way, if that makes you comfortable."

"Yeah. I'm now comforted by the fact that you have no bugs," Percy admits, childishly.

He grabs her hands with his own. She looks down at it. "It's just something Reyna said."

"Was it bad? Did she insult you or something?"

A laugh bubbles from her. Annabeth shakes her head at him. "No. Not like that. It's something that has me thinking. It seems as though it's a puzzle. The words themselves are."

Percy frowns. "Well, if got you thinking and you're a daughter of Athena, I don't think a Seaweed Brain like me would be able to help you."

Her eyes soften at his words. She flicks her finger at his forehead. "Now, don't get all too wrapped up with your character. Paris may be reckless and does stupid things most of the time, but isn't he the one who practically lead the quest alongside Annaliese? He's smart too, in some ways that Annaliese isn't. That's why they're good together. They balance each other out."

"You're the best in making me feel great," Percy admits, his eyes growing fonder as he stares at her. There's something quite familiar with his gaze, something that Annabeth knows she has given him at times when she just can't help but be fond of him. It feels great, she thinks. Being at the receiving end of this gaze makes her warm.

He then smiles at her, softly and rubs the inside of her wrist gently. She prays that he won't notice her pulse is skyrocketing at the moment.

"Whatever it is, don't get too caught up thinking about it, okay?"

"Okay."

Before he turns, his finger taps her nose once again. "And sleep tight. We have more scenes to shoot tomorrow."

Annabeth doesn't sleep. Her mind is too busy wandering to the moment where his gaze followed and never seemed to leave her until she's completely inside her trailer.

;

It seems that after that night, Annabeth's eyes have been magnetized to Percy almost all the time.

No matter what are they doing, her gaze somehow flits over to his. When she listens to a story Hazel tells and laughs at it, her eyes find his own and it is as though she's sharing the moment with him, even if he's not listening. It confuses the hell out of her, because all of a sudden she just can't help but watch him. It isn't as if she's trying to ogle Percy, but more of, she's fascinated just by looking at him. Even staring at the back of his head amuses her, if not for the fact that Piper caught her for too many times to count and smirks like the she knew what Annabeth was thinking.

It creeps her sometimes, knowing that this friendship thing isn't going as smooth as she had hoped. Annabeth always thought that she can squash all the lingering feelings she has for him that are surely beyond the friendship line. But it seems as though fate is not on her side, because when he smiles at her like that, her heart skips a beat and her blood starts rushing, and somehow, Annabeth knows she had already lost the battle.

;

"Hey," a voice greets and Annabeth turns her head to find Piper beaming at her. She easily grins in return before going back to fixing her shoelaces.

"Are you ready?" Piper asks, as she watches the blonde tie her laces.

"Ready for what?"

The brunette gives her a look of utter amusement as if she can't believe Annabeth forgot. "For the third book, duh. We're filming it today, remember?"

For a moment, nothing registers until she's suddenly hit by words. Shock and disbelief show on Annabeth's face. She remembers it now; she's spent hours re-reading the script to familiar herself with the story and right now, all she can think of is—wow, this is the part where I get to kiss Percy. Annabeth wants to berate her mind for eagerly jumping on that thought, but it seems that Piper beats her to it.

"Don't worry. We're not shooting the big reunion until tomorrow. We still need a lot of extra for the Roman crowd. So you still have ample time left to prepare for the big kiss," Piper consoles.

Annabeth scowls at that. "I wasn't even thinking about that," she lies.

"Sure, you're not," Piper deadpans. Then she leans towards Annabeth to stare the girl in the eyes. Her brows are pulled together in concentration as if she is in some dissecting experiment until she pulls back and wide almost Cheshire grin stretches across her face.

"You like him," Piper concludes, like it was a universal fact.

"Who?"

"Percy, o'course."

Annabeth shakes her head disbelievingly at Piper. She hopes she can't see through her lie. "Of course, I like him. Everybody does."

"No." Piper frowns like a disappointed teacher that Annabeth just answered 1+1 wrong. "You like-like him."

"There's no such thing as like-like."

"Of course there is!" The brunette exclaims. "It means that—"

The blonde raises her hand to stop her friend from continuing. "I know what it means."

"Then, why did you say—"

"Are we really using that term by middle schoolers?"

Piper shrugs. "I don't care. The point still stands."

"There's no point at all."

"Uh-uh." Piper wags her index finger in front of the blonde's face. "I saw you. I saw those glances. And don't tell otherwise, gods know how many times I've caught you giving him 'The Look'."

Annabeth lets out an exasperated breath and Piper knows she's won this talk. "Okay. So maybe, I do like-like him a little bit. And I don't give him The Look. I don't even know what that is!"

"See, that wasn't hard to admit, was it? I was just confirming if my inner Aphrodite is still working." Piper squeezes her arm and smiles at her, all traces of teasing long gone. "Well, I'd like you to know that in my opinion you look good together."

Annabeth shakes her head. "You and I both know that is unlikely to happen."

"Well, a girl can hope. I'm shipping you two, if you want to know." Piper leans back on her chair and closes her eyes. "If only real life was a movie, anything can be possible."

"It could be," Annabeth agrees and smiles sadly.

"Only it wasn't."

;

Annabeth is sitting on her makeshift bed, her eyes skimming over the script as she recites the lines in her mind. She stretches a bit and she feels her bones pop like fireworks, the knots and tension on her limbs slowly working at ease. The night is still young and she knows she should be catching on her sleep while the opportunity presents itself, but her eyes and mind are too awake to do so.

She looks back on the script to resume reading when she hears the not so subtle opening of her trailer door. The figure clumsily steps in and almost trips, and when he curses, Annabeth instantly knows who he is.

"What did you bribed them to let you in?" she asks, tucking the script away from her and watches as Percy slides beside her.

"There's no need for bribery. They were charmed by my looks."

"Getting a big head now, are we?"

He shrugs. "Just admitting the truth."

Annabeth doesn't say anything back because she can't argue with that one. As much as she would like to get him riled up or pissed off, she perfectly knows that what he said was the truth.

"What are you doing?"

"How did you know I was up in the first place?" she retorts, pushing his shoulder lightly as he attempts to lean across her.

"I just had a feeling, I guess. I can feel you're presence, like there's a part of me that's not settled yet," he says.

"That's kind of silly."

"Nope," he argues. "It's really true. I mean, every friend of mine seems to take a part of me. Just like when I can't feel at ease one night, I knew for a fact that there's something wrong. And moments after that, Jason called me because he had a fight with his girlfriend."

She regards him, warily. "So, you felt that something must be happening to me?"

"Not like that," he claims. "More like I can feel your anxiousness, and I can't sleep too. So I made my way here."

"Wow, I feel appreciated."

"You should. Why do you feel anxious anyway? Was it still about what Reyna said?"

"No," she laughs. It's far more than that, she thinks. But she can't exactly say that she's anxious about the filming of the meeting of Greeks and Roman—more, specifically, their reunion kiss. Well, not exactly their reunion, but that's beside the point. "It's just nerves, maybe."

Percy looks at her, confused. "But you've never been on nerves before. What makes tomorrow different?"

Annabeth wrings her hands, nervously. She wishes she could escape this conversation. "I don't know. I just don't want to forget any of my lines?"

"Why? You memorize it everytime." He then leans back and tucks his legs under him. "Well, I'd like you to know that I'm nervous too."

"Yeah?"

He nods. "Well, I might forget my lines—"she rolls her eyes at this one, "—and I don't want to make you uncomfortable?"

Annabeth gazes at him, curiously. "Why would I be uncomfortable with you?"

"I don't really know. I just guessed. I mean, you're my friend."

"And so?"

"Friends don't kiss," he states, like it's an unspoken rule that she must know.

Right. Tomorrow. The reunion kiss. Friends don't kiss their friends. Friends don't make out. Annabeth should have known. How stupid of her. And he has a girlfriend, so snap out of this fantasy.

She swallows thickly. "I know. But, it'll be only on screen, right?"

"Oh." Annabeth thinks she sees some red tinge his cheeks. He throws his arm over his eyes. "I know, I know. Forget everything I said. It's stupid."

She reaches out to pull his arm away. "Hey. Hey, come on it's not stupid. I get your concern."

He laughs. "Look at me, not being manly."

"I knew you weren't in the first place," she teases.

He glares at her and pokes her cheek with his finger. "Now, you're making fun of me."

"Can't help it."

Percy laughs and momentarily, Annabeth gets distracted. This time, his laugh is low and breathy, like he's afraid he might wake up somebody if it gets a little louder. She finds herself liking this laugh better than the loud and carefree sounds he usually makes. This time it seems more personal, like it's a secret he's only sharing with her.

"Can I hug you? I'm pretty sure friends do that," Percy asks, opening his arms for her to step in.

"Yeah, sure." Annabeth reaches over to him and wraps her arms around his body. She smiles against his shirt when she hears the thump-thump sound of his beating heart.

Percy pulls back to look at her. His gaze then burns through her own, the green of his irises resembling the color of the sea when it is calm.

"So, we're okay?"

Annabeth drowns herself in his eyes and just for a moment, she pretends that they have an underwater bubble of their own; both of them lost in their own little world. Away from the inevitable tomorrow. Away from the harshness of the real world. She thinks they're okay.

"Yeah. We're okay."

;

Annabeth stands inside the ship that was made to look like the Argo II. And in fact, the ship looked like what it seemed to have been in the books, except for the fact that it doesn't have the mechanism to fly. But the graphic artists would know how to solve that part, and so Annabeth looks down and pretends that she sees the Roman army assembled on the ground.

She knows her lines by heart, knows what to do and what to look like while the others are speaking and she knows just how to portray Annaliese Cray in real life. But somehow, there's that deep hum in her chest, that feels like she might miss or forget her lines, or even the way she should react. Never mind that they could take several shoots if ever that happens, but she wants to do this perfectly. Especially the scene where she have to interact with Percy. Annabeth thinks that doing more of it could break her façade, and she's afraid that when she looks at him in that praetor outfit with that lopsided grin of his, her gaze would be more Annabeth and less Annaliese.

She hopes not. She had long drawn the lines before she signed the contract, but now it looks blurry, and she can't distinguish which is which.

"'Uh, Annaliese…you sure this is a good idea?" Leo asks, which somehow breaks her from her reverie.

She regains her voice as she looks at Leo. "'It'll be fine. No one will be armed. We can talk in peace. Terminus will make sure each side obeys the rules.'"

"'Do we have an agreement?'" she asks the statue.

"'I suppose. For now. You may climb down your ladder to New Rome, daughter of Athena. Please try not to destroy my town.'"

Annaliese steps down from the ship together with the rest of the crew, and she lets the former praetor of Rome, Joshua to take it from there.

Annabeth let her eyes roam the horde of Romans dressed for battle, searching for Percy. And then she spots him, his arms wrapped around Hazel and Frank like what she knew Paris would have done and smiles his troublesome smile.

For a while there, her heart catches in her throat and she has to remind herself that the look he gives her is the one Paris would have given Annaliese. Yet, somehow, in the back of her mind, Annabeth imagines that it's for hers.

"Joshua Godling, my former colleague…I welcome you home. And these, your friends—" Reyna begins as a form of introduction. She completely embodies the role of praetor of New Rome with her sharp gaze and regal attitude. Yet, the thought ends there because when Annabeth catches his eyes, her mind goes blank and her feet starts moving—across the space between them, amidst the fake Roman crowd and away from her colleagues (where she sees Piper and Annabeth swears that the brunette smirked at her direction).

Percy runs towards her too, his green eyes going soft as he reaches her and she hurls herself to his body. He holds her body close to his and she catches his lips with her own—and for one single moment, they're not Paris and Annaliese, she's only Annabeth and he's only Percy. As that thought slips from her mind, she starts kissing him deeper in a way Annabeth knows that Annaliese wouldn't. She tugs his bottom lip carefully and he responds in kind—and for one single moment, she lets herself forget that she's Annaliese and she just found her boyfriend, Paris and holy shit they're making out in front of a crowd.

Just for now, she's just Annabeth and she's kissing this dork she shouldn't like—

—and Percy, he tastes like home.

;

"We're okay."

She knew it was lie.

After that, Annabeth feels like there's something off. She can't tell for sure, but it is as though something had taken Percy from her and dropped him to a world she doesn't know. She hopes it isn't because Percy noticed her little slip of character during the kiss. She hopes he didn't read much of her feelings for him.

But as she stares at the back of his head almost like before, he turns and catches her watching him. Then his gaze melts into something soft and subtle—for a second Annabeth thinks that he gives her The Look—but he abruptly shakes his head and pointedly looks away from her.

They weren't okay.

;

It's midnight and the crew are travelling towards the location where they have to shoot some scenes by morning. They made a quick stopover in the nearest gasoline station, and refilled their fuels.

Annabeth stares out on the window and pretends that she doesn't glance at Percy's trailer, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, every now and then. She heaves in a sigh and closes her eyes, hoping for sleep to come and get her, but it never does. It seems as though it was keen on making her feel awful for what happened in the set.

She wishes she should've listened to her mind.

Percy isn't avoiding her at all; they made small talks and brief eye contact and still joked around, but there's something that had certainly changed between them. Gone was the usual warmth she feels when she's around him, rather it was replaced by an air of awkwardness.

Annabeth so badly want to return to what they were before, even if it meant forgetting all instances of her having feelings for him.

Steeling her resolve, she steps out of her own trailer and knocks on the window on Percy's van. She tightens the scarf around her neck, as the winds blow harder and whip her hair in disarray. Percy opens it and he freezes briefly upon seeing her, before gesturing her inside.

Annabeth sighs at the sudden warmth brought by his heater. She glances up at him when he speaks, "Hey."

"You're awake," she comments.

He lets out a small chuckle. "It doesn't seem obvious now, does it?"

"I-I just thought you would be asleep."

Percy nods briefly and looks at her, his left brow pulled up the slightest bit. Annabeth recognizes the look and she knows he's asking her a question.

"I couldn't sleep. I felt like you're awake and tense," she says.

"I'm not so sure about being tense."

"You are," Annabeth argues. She fiddles with the end of her scarf. "Ever since the day when we filmed the reunion. After—after the k-kiss, you've been tense."

"And you aren't?" His tone is biting and a little angry, that Annabeth flinches slightly. He seems to pick up on this though, because he runs his palm across his face. Percy looks tired, like he hadn't been sleeping okay for several nights and the dark bags under his eyes prove this so.

"I'm sorry," he mutters. "I didn't mean for it to sound harsh and I'm—I'm not angry at you. At all. It's just probably the stress."

"I know," she says. "I'm sorry too. If you think that I've been acting weird and tense lately, I-I don't want to make it awkward but I think it ended up being worse. I—just—I don't want to stop being your friend."

"Okay. I don't like you to stop being my friend too," he admits. A few silent beats pass, before Percy looks up. His eyes look like the shade of emerald right now but the emotion behind them is something that she can't recognize.

"But, it— it didn't mean anything, right?"

Annabeth knows what he's talking about. She knows perfectly what he is referring to but she hopes to be wrong. She wishes she is wrong.

She tries to swallow the big lump that seems to block her throat and tries very hard to speak without her voice shaking. "Right."

Something flickers in his eyes, but she doesn't notice. She hopes the tears will forever be at bay.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles again. Annabeth doesn't know what she says sorry for—for lying to him or for acting the way she did. It doesn't seem to matter anymore.

He doesn't say anything back but his fingers slide with hers and he squeezes tight.

It feels like an apology.

;

They sort of find each other back. Sort of.

The air between them now feels lighter, fresher than before. Annabeth takes it in, the air filling the spaces in her lungs makes her breathe easier. It doesn't feel like she's suffocating anymore—or drowning, rather in his presence.

As soon as she tried to bury her feelings for him, she learned how to keep the waves at bay, never quite reaching her toes. In that way, she wouldn't drown in him although she's depriving herself of happiness. But, Annabeth thinks this makes it better than having none of him at all.

Yet, there are moments, of course, when it just slips out of her grasp. It escapes from her system and bubbles up to the surface where she can't quite reach it. Just as when Percy unknowingly grips her wrist and then releases it suddenly with a blush, Annabeth can't help but turn red too. Or when he holds her gaze for too long to be platonic before he catches himself.

It makes Annabeth wonder if he felt it too, like she did. That feeling that erupts from her chest, something that she couldn't quite describe. But then her conscience would start acting and then the thoughts would drift to the corner of her mind, where she'll stop looking for those.

And then she'll forget about it until they start coming back again. It's a painful cycle.

;

Annaliese dangles on the edge, her hand holding the ledge with a death grip. She knows it's a futile effort when she feels the tug in her ankle again so she slowly releases her fingers, waits for hell to swallow her—but then Paris comes and clasps her wrist, tightly. His face looks grim, with scratches and bruises and he looks so so exhausted that she considers escaping from his grip. He's shouting orders at the remaining demigods and he looks back at her and his face melts to a soft smile.

When Annabeth meets her gaze, she sees Percy and not Paris, and she thinks it's not good until he shouts the words to her: "'We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again.'"

For one sliver second, she pretends that those words are for her.

"As long as we're together," she says.

And then he lets go of the ledge and together they fall.

As they free fall to the trampoline waiting for them at the bottom, Annabeth remembers her first fall—and she'd fallen hard, but Percy had never been fast enough to fall with her.

;

The end was inevitable. She knew that.

Annabeth sits quietly on the corner of a long couch, while taking small sips from the glass of wine in her hand. She watches as the rest of her friends have gathered in a table playing beer pong, in which she gently refused. She doesn't want to spoil their fun but her resolve on staying sober or maybe a bit tipsy for their night was strong. Although Piper had talked to her to joining them, Annabeth was having none of it. Eventually, they let her be and now, she is enjoying the night to herself.

They had just finished filming for the movie, and here they are, celebrating for having a successful team and actually surviving the whole shebang. Even if Annabeth refused to join in their fun, she is actually glad for this celebration. She wanted nothing but to celebrate their last day together as co-actors and have fun as friends. She sees Hedge engaging the production manager, Mr. D into a drinking game. She wants to laugh because she perfectly knows how high Mr. D's alcohol tolerance is, and Hedge isn't such a heavy drinker despite his character.

It feels great, she thinks, now that she doesn't worry about forgetting lines or bad acting or even certain dark haired guy she hasn't seen even once tonight. Her thoughts start to wonder about his whereabouts, when the devil himself appears beside her and hands her another glass of wine. Annabeth wonders how Percy manages to sneak in just the right moment. Maybe he can feel her calling him, or whatever. She gratefully accepts the glass.

He doesn't say anything, and neither does she, but she feels calmer and more comfortable somehow. She treasures the feeling.

"Why are you here by yourself?" he asks.

"I'm not. You're here with me."

He rolls his eyes. "Yeah. Before I came here."

Annabeth takes a moment to answer. She shrugs. "I like being alone, I guess."

"I like being alone too."

"No, you don't," she argues.

"I do. I like being alone with you," he says.

His words stir something deep in her belly and fire courses through her blood. She claims it's the alcohol.

When she doesn't say anything back after several moments, Percy reaches and taps gently on her wrist. "Want to get a breath of fresh air?"

Her mind screams no, but her head nods anyway. Annabeth blames the alcohol when her hand moves to grasp his, but her mind catches and she retracts before it happens. Percy does it for her though, as they place their empty glasses on the table, his grip on her fingers tighten and the knots on her stomach loosens.

They find their way at the rooftop of the bar, which is kind of weird but amazing all the same. She feels the thrill on her veins as the winds blow past her and the night sky welcomes her in. It looks so dark tonight, but it makes the stars shine brighter than before and perhaps, it makes Percy's eyes look more enticing.

She's always adored the shade of his eyes, its green seemingly more blue at some point, but right now, the look of his eyes might be her favorite.

Annabeth jumps a little when he speaks. She realizes he's looking at her.

"I like your eyes," Percy confesses.

She gapes at him, when his words register in her mind. "What?"

"I said I like your eyes," he repeats, burying his face on his shoulder and he mumbles the words on his shirt. He then looks up and stares at her again, like he's confirming it. "They look like silver stars. And now they seem to be glowing too."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And I'd always liked stars you know. They make everything look so beautiful."

Her cheeks feel warm and she moves to stand beside him, but not quite looking at him. "I'd want to argue that mine has the dullest color ever, but I'll take the compliment. I like yours too."

That brings a laugh out of him, but it isn't because he's laughing at her. "Yeah. A lot have told me that, apparently. It seems as though they find green eyes hot."

"Yeah right." She glances at him with a small grin.

"That was kind of a weird conversation starter," Annabeth comments.

"I didn't know. I thought it was awesome. Everything I thought was awesome," he mutters. After a few seconds, Percy covers his eyes with his hands, embarrassed. "Oh gods, that was awful. I didn't realize how alcohol apparently lowers my shame."

"Nah," she elbows him jokingly. "You have nothing to begin with."

And he laughs like he finds it funny and she laughs with him too, because they're happy and they're two idiots under the influence of alcohol.

"So…" he begins. "Today's the last day."

"Mhmm," she hums and traces shapes on the floor with her shoes.

"Listen, I just want to say that even if—Annabeth," he says, calling her attention. She nods but still doesn't look at him and instead, fiddles with the material of her scarf. "Annabeth."

"Go on. I'm listening."

"Annabeth. Look at me," Percy whispers, as her fingers join her hand on the scarf. He holds it and lets it slide under his thumb, the silky texture catching on his skin. His fingers ghost over hers and it's rough and soft all the same and a shiver rocks her body. This time, he calls her name again but he also tugs on the end of her scarf to face him.

"Look at me."

She looks up.

And she gasps. There are thousand words written on his face, but she can only understand one thing. Annabeth recites it quietly in her head, repeating the words all over and over to engrave it on her memory.

She wants to say a thousand things all at once—there are so many thoughts running on her mind, so many things she wants to say but all she can blurt out is, "Percy."

His fingers tug again and she's moving closer and he's leaning down and—oh oh his lips slant over hers and he's catching her breath. She kisses him back in an instant and she feels fire, hot and blazing run through her blood. Annabeth loses her breath with every passing second, yet as he kisses her again, it feels like she's breathing air for the very first time.

Then, his hands are moving to cup her face while she lets her fingers tangle in his hair. Percy tilts his head and nips lightly on her bottom lip, and her head suddenly becomes dizzy and she can't quite think. When Annabeth's pretty sure she'll die because she forgot to breathe, he pulls back and presses his nose on the space between her eyebrows, as puffs of breath escape his lips. Her grip on his hair loosens and she slides her finger down to his shirt, where she clenches the material under her fist.

Annabeth still doesn't open her eyes—she doesn't want to open her eyes, because it will become real and when it becomes real, she knows that this shouldn't happen—knows that this shouldn't have happened in the first place. But as her eyes remain close, she can make herself believe that this was only a dream, and she can just keep on dreaming and dreaming—but it isn't. Percy's thumb is on her lips, touching lightly and she stores the feeling deep in her mind.

When she feels his breath blow across hers, she grips his shirt hard and shakes her head. "No, no. We—we shouldn't."

"Annabeth—"he protests, but he cuts her off.

Hearing his voice hurt. Hearing him say her name hurt. And it hurts and burns so fucking bad.

Annabeth backs away from him slowly, while he walks towards her with every step she makes.

"Percy. No. We shouldn't do this. It isn't—"

"But, Annabeth, listen—"

She shakes her head and raises her palm to stop him. "No, Percy. Listen to me. This—this didn't happen, okay? This shouldn't have happened."

Percy grips her wrist, tight. It isn't painful but the way his skin feels on her is. "You just can't say things like that, Annabeth."

"But I can!" She shouts. Gently, she places her hands on both sides of his face and stares at him in the eye. "This isn't right. You have Rachel. This—this is just fling. Nothing here is permanent."

"But we can make it permanent!"

"Maybe in another dream." Annabeth smiles at him, sadly. She kisses the corner of his lips, and whispers, "Say you'll remember me."

He whispers the words back.

She smiles one last time, turns away and never looks back.

;

Percy sits at the table beside the window.

The dark clouds stirring are drifting farther from the sky, and it opens up to reveal the sun peeking behind it. He feels a soft tug in his heart as he sees the silver lining of clouds, and he remembers silver stars in a charcoal night.

He then shifts his gaze to the white band of skin on the fourth finger of his left hand, remembers how it used to feel heavier than the rest, but now, there's none. He feels lighter somehow, like he doesn't carry something that weighs far too heavy for him.

He's still touching the band on his ring finger when a new hand joins his, and he thinks—no, he feels like this might just be the right hand.

Percy looks up and sees golden blond curls and silver stars eyes and of course—he remembers.

She smiles at him and he smiles back and whispers,

"I remember."

;

He wakes up.


End file.
